Habemus Papam! We have a pope, and his name is Leo XIV.

White smoke has risen from the Sistine Chapel chimney, and the Catholic world has a new shepherd. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 267th pontiff and has chosen the name Leo XIV, a choice rich with historical significance and symbolic meaning for the future of our Church.

Who is Pope Leo XIV?

Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost served as an Augustinian friar and missionary, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his pastoral work in Latin America. As an American cardinal, his election represents a historic moment, as he becomes the first pope from the United States in the Church’s 2,000-year history.

Prevost’s background is particularly significant given his extensive missionary experience. Having spent decades serving in Peru, he developed a deep understanding of the challenges facing the Church in different cultural contexts. His time as a missionary shaped his pastoral approach, emphasizing proximity to the marginalized and a commitment to social justice rooted in Catholic teaching. Lest some of us start to get anxious about the many interpretations of “social justice,” read on for more context…

His election comes at a crucial time for the Church, as it navigates challenges both internally and externally. The conclave that elected him was historically significant – with 133 cardinal electors, it was one of the largest and most diverse conclaves in history, featuring cardinals from countries that had never before had a voice in papal elections. This diversity reflects the global nature of today’s Church and suggests that the cardinals saw in Prevost someone who could speak to this universal mission.

The Significance of Choosing “Leo XIV”

By selecting the name Leo XIV, our new Holy Father makes a deliberate connection with his predecessors who bore the name Leo, particularly Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). This choice reveals much about his vision and priorities for his pontificate.

Pope Leo XIII is remembered for initiating the modern tradition of Catholic social teaching with his landmark encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891). This groundbreaking document advocated for workers’ rights, fair treatment in industrial society, and emphasized human dignity in economic life. By invoking Leo XIII’s legacy, Pope Leo XIV signals his commitment to these principles of social justice and human dignity that emerged on the heels of the industrial revolution and the emerging reality of postmodern philosophy. Pope Leo XIII was known for his intellectual contributions, promoting Thomistic philosophy and Catholic scholarship. He stressed the integration of faith and reason, modernizing theology while rooting it firmly in tradition.

The name Leo also connects to Pope Leo I, “the Great,” who defended doctrinal orthodoxy at the Council of Chalcedon and protected Rome from invasion through diplomatic skills. This historical connection suggests Pope Leo XIV values balanced leadership that combines doctrinal clarity with pastoral sensitivity.

By choosing this name, Pope Leo XIV may be indicating his own commitment to this intellectual and evangelical heritage.

The Prayer to St. Michael and Spiritual Warfare

One of the most powerful legacies of Pope Leo XIII was his composition of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after a profound spiritual experience in 1884. According to traditional accounts, Pope Leo XIII had a vivid spiritual encounter in which he perceived Satan boldly challenging Christ, requesting a period of time and power to attack the Church.

In response, he drafted the Prayer to St. Michael, ordering it recited universally after Mass throughout the Catholic world. This prayer explicitly references the struggle against demonic influence, the Church’s role in spiritual combat, and the protection provided by angelic forces. Pope Francis during his pontificate reinstated the tradition for every Mass to be followed be recitation of this prayer, which had fallen out of practice in many places.

Cardinal Prevost, having served in regions with significant poverty, social issues, and spiritual challenges, likely witnessed firsthand the reality of spiritual conflict manifesting in various forms of evil. His choice of the name Leo XIV could signal an acknowledgment that the Church today continues to face these spiritual battles requiring discernment and supernatural assistance.

Might we not hope that this name choice signifies a sort of book-end to the “reign of Satan’s influence” that Pope Leo XIII heard Jesus and Satan discussing?

A Bridge-Building Pontiff

The name Leo could also symbolize Pope Leo XIV’s aspiration to unify different factions within the Church by drawing upon a historical figure respected across theological lines. Leo XIII’s legacy of balanced social doctrine and intellectual renewal appeals broadly across ideological camps, making “Leo XIV” a potential symbol of unity and reconciliation.

This bridge-building mission seems particularly important in today’s polarized Church. Pope Leo XIV’s background as both a missionary with grassroots experience and a Church administrator with a theological foundation positions him uniquely to speak to both the “peripheries” emphasized by Pope Francis and the doctrinal clarity valued by Pope Benedict XVI.

Implications for Catholic Anthropology

The choice of Leo XIV carries significant implications for how the Church will approach its understanding of the human person. Leo XIII’s teachings emphasized human dignity, the complementarity of faith and reason, and the social nature of the human person. These themes align perfectly with a Catholic approach to anthropology that recognizes humans as embodied souls, created for communion with God and one another.

At CatholicPsych, this vision of the human person as an integrated being—body, mind, and spirit—forms the foundation of our approach to mental health. We find in Pope Leo XIV’s name choice an affirmation of this integral vision, which recognizes both our created nature and our supernatural destiny.

What Can We Hope from Pope Leo XIV?

Based on his background and name choice, we might anticipate several emphases in Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate

1. A renewed focus on Catholic social teaching, particularly regarding economic justice, human dignity, family life, and care for the poor
2. An emphasis on evangelization and missionary outreach, informed by his own extensive experience in the field
3. Attention to the spiritual dimension of the Church’s challenges, including recognition of spiritual warfare and the need for prayer and sacramental life
4. A balanced approach that seeks to transcend polarization within the Church while maintaining doctrinal clarity, centering on the person of Christ
5. Integration of faith and reason, continuing Leo XIII’s legacy of engaging with the intellectual currents of the time

Our Response as Catholics

As we welcome Pope Leo XIV, we are called to respond with prayer, openness, and renewed commitment to our faith. His election invites us to deepen our understanding of Catholic social teaching, strengthen our spiritual lives against the challenges of our time, and bridge divides within the Church and society.

As the last century was given over to Satan’s greatest efforts to take us from God, let us join together in prayer that those years of terror and their consequences are coming to a close and the possibility of a new time of God’s light and love awaits us.

For those of us interested in the integration of faith and psychological well-being, Pope Leo XIV’s name choice affirms the importance of an approach that honors the whole person—recognizing both our natural needs and supernatural calling. May we pray for our new Holy Father as he begins his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. May the Holy Spirit guide him as he leads the Church in proclaiming the Gospel to all nations. And may his pontificate be blessed with wisdom, courage, and the grace to help the Church become ever more faithful to her divine mission.

Habemus Papam! We have a pope, and his name is Leo XIV.